clemens



Nov. 11, 1930'.

F. CLEMEN$ AUTOMATIC COURSE COUNTER AND STOP 2 SheetS -Shee't '1 FiledMay 14 I N VEN TOR.

(2 EMA-7Y5) ATTNEYJ.

Nov. 11,1930. CLEMENS 1,780,909

I AUTOMATIC COURSE COUNTER AND STOP Filed May 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN VEN TOR. 77am (2 [Ms/v Patented Nov. 11, 1936 NIT D TA E FREDoLEMEivsoF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA -PA E T. OFFICE 7 AUTOMATIC coimsnCOUNTER AND s'ror Application filed May 14,

' 10 be stopped after a predetermined number of courses are formed toinsure predetermined length of the stocking;

The chieffeature of the invention consists in mechanism forautomatically controlling 1 a knitting machine operable thereby, wherebya-knitting machine will be stopped after a predetermined number ofcourses have been knit and which mechanism includes an adjustment forvarying the degree of actua- 2 tion obtainable by an actuating partcarried by a moving part of the knitting machine and 'other adjustments4 for insuring predeter mined operation'of the control. In brief themechanism includes a ratchet 25 wheel operable with a step-by-stepmovement from the wrestle bar of a knitting machine, which ratchetthrough a sprocket gear drives a chain having actuating cams or lugsmounted thereon in-spaced relation,-the spacing cle- 36 pending-upon thenumber of courses to be knit and the lugs actuating a switch control,the'switch controlling'the knitting machine. The full nature of theinvention will be 35 and the following description and claims:

"Fig.1 is. a side elevation of a portion of a knitting machine with thecourse counter applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the partsshown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings there is illustrated a wrestle bar 10 which reciprocatesin the ac tual knitting machine a distance of about fourteen inches.plate 11 which is a part of the framework and also included in the frameof the knitting machine is the transverse frame member 12.-- The sourceof power for the course counter comprises a cam 13 securedto the wrestlebar and movable therewith and having a mulf i} tiple cam face 14engageable bya camfolend of a lever 16, see Fig. 2.

1 tonormally cause the roller 15 to engage the wrestle bar and the face14. g The adjustunderstood from the accompanying drawings The machineincludes a- 1927. Serial No. 191,37 9.

lower or roller rotatably mounted on the The lever 16 is pivoted-at 17to a bracket 18 secured to the frame plate 11 and the lever at itsopposite end terminates in a yoke 19 to which is con- 1513 nected anactuating rod or bar 20. The bracket 18 has a projecting portion 21which adjustably supports a stop22. -The weight of the several parts andthe lever is such as able stop mechanism 22 is preferably ar-' rangedsuch that the rollerdoes noturoll on the wrestle bar but only engagesthe cam 'at some portion along its periphery and, of "If course, leavesthe cam at a corresponding point of the cam periphery. The aforesaid adju-stment, therefore, determines the amount ofthrow that the rod issubjected to since the throw of the lever 16 is thus limited oradjusted.-

Pivotally mounted on the shaft 23asupported in the main bracket or base24 mounted on the frame member '12 is a lever arm 25 which pivotallysupports at 26, a detent or-*-"' pawl 27 the spring 28 normallymaintaining the same in contact with the ratchet 29 also rotatablymounted on the shaft 23' and having the teeth 30 upon its peripheryengage- .able by said pawl. Cam 13 actuatesfollower so 15 and causeslever 16 to tilt which elevates the actuating'rod 20 andcauseszclockwise driving rotation of the ratchet wheel 29,"the amount ofdriving or rotation beingv determinable by the adjustable stop-22.Secured as at 31 to the ratchet wheel for rotation therewith is asprocket wheel 32 that meshes with the sprocket chain construction 33provided with lugsB l secured thereto in spaced relation. The sprocketchain 33 passes over the pulleys 35 rotatably mounted in the brackets 36adjustablymounted on the-frame member 12. The base 24 also mountsapulley 35. The positioning of the lugs or. cams 3 1 determines thelength of the stocking since the number of courses is determinable bythe movement of. the wrestle bar which 'actuates "the ratchet to rotatethe sprocketv gear and drive the chain, Reverse movement of the ratchetis prevented by the .base'supported V pawlordetent engaging the teeth 30and being maintained thereinfby the spring 38.

I The position of the known manner.

Also'pivotallymounted on the base 24 and ,at'39 is an arm 40 whichcarries a cam mem ber L1 adjustably'mounted thereon and successivelyengageable by thecams 34. ,This

Y :The lower limitiof-the lever lO is limited by J an adjustable stop 48also carried [by the bracket 47 and aspring a9 is connected to, the{bracket and theilever arm for normally .lsition.

engagement causes elevation of lever arm 40; in the'free end of whichis. 'pivotally mounted abell-crank lever 42"havin'g on one "arm a camface 43 and alo cking groovee l and on theother a counterweight portion45, the latter engaging an adjustable stop46 mounted in the bracket 47'carried'by the frame24.

maintaining the lever arm in its lowered p0- f,'.-Wheneve'r the cam .34is caused to. ride 1 tion 52to an arm .53 mounted on. a rocklshaft.under the cam 41, the lever arm-40 will be raised from its-lowermostposition intov elevated position. The cam face 43 rides up over thepincarried by a sliding bar 5l,

in turn connected by a, pin. and slot connec- 54. .;Opposite'm0vement ofarm 53 a'ctuates a controllingthe main power-motor of a knitv theratchet "wheel;

- 7 The invention claimed is: I

I 1. knitting machine orthe like, in-

switch'mounted inthe'casing 55, said switch ting'machine therebystopping movement of all ofth e parts including'the Wrestle bar'lO. 1 VI After the cam 48 has raised and passed over pin 50 the weight 45causes the bell'crank lever to tilt clockwise and'causes thepinz50tose'at in the notch 44 and the weightyof the bellcran'kportion -45issuflicient to cause a sliding and lowering movement of the slide" 51to rock theshaft 54:clockwise to open the m 'otorcircuit.

- It.:.will"-be apparent, therefore, that the wrestle barrdirectlycontrols a rock s'haft'. 54 and thatisaid control is operableonly after the wrestleybar has .made a predetermined 5 number ofre'c1procat1ons,'the same in turn corresponding to a "predeterminednumber or courses in a stocking, thereby insuring a constantpredetermined lengthstocking. Of F course, the spacing of the, lugs ii-may be ada justed for any'number of courses l and the '1 throw oftheactuator bar 20 will be adjusted A ned' operationthrough to secure apredetermi d eluding a switch operating member for controlling theoperation of the machine and amachine operable element fromwwhich powermay be derived, the combination of mecha- 1 nism for transformingintermittentlactua fment'intoiprogressive rotary motion, Jajle- --ver.pivotally supporting acatch, apluralitywof. alctuatingimembersprogressively present 12".. l p 1 pawl is adjusted in a well ed by theprogressive rotary motion to said lever for tilting the-same, anda latchcar-f 1 ried bysaid switch operating member. and

switch after the lever has been tilted.

' engageable by the catch for actuating a normal position of said catch.j T

device as defined by claim' ljcharacterized by'adjustable meansfor-limiting the normal position of said lever.

4. A device as defined by claim 1 characte'rized by the addition ofindependently ad- ,justable means for independently adjusting "the.normal lever.

position of thecatch'and the In of a machine'controlling. switchincluding to the. latch" iorv catchpositioning and the 2. A device asdefinedby claim 1 charac' .terized; by adjustable means-for, limitingthey a knitting machinethe combination between, a tiltable support. forsaid catch;

catch in disengagement relative to; the latch, and intermittentlyoperable means operable;

chine lor tilting. the catch s'upport ior catch and latch eng agementand switch actuation. I 6. A device asdefinedby claim 5 charao- 1 Iteriz-ejd by the intermittently operablemeansr; including an endlessprogressively. movable mechanism, a cam carriedfthereby and -ar rangedto elevate the catchfsupport the movement I of, the endless member,;f aratchet 'operatively associated with the endless mom-i:

ber for progressively moving the same, and a camgand pawl connectionbet-weenpsaid ratchet and an operating element; of the ma-' chine fortransmitting-the motion, of'themachine to the endless-member for.-movingj the cam into operative position" atthe prenormally constrainedtowardpositioning the, 7

by a movable element. ot-the knitting madetermined time determinableby.the ielapsed V machine 'operationg- In witness whereof,

ERE f L En myi i n t e" 1 I tion derived from said machine operableele-'iso

